It was at that very moment that Nicola felt his body react without control. And in a horrid rage, he turned and grabbed Grey by his shirt collar and pushed him violently into the brick wall. He wanted to kill him; he hated him so much! But Grey was not afraid. In fact, he carried the same rage and was happy to release it now.
“I’ll fucking kill you,” Nicola said with choking Grey.
“Not before I kill you first,” Grey shouted enraged.
Pushing back, Grey grabbed Nicola by his coat and slung him into the opposite wall. He charged furiously into him trying to knock the wind from his body.
From side to side in the tight alleyway, they fought without so much as a single on-looker. Falling into a puddle of water, they both gasped as the cold slush drenched their bodies. Punching Nicola in the rib cage, Grey felt Nicola’s cold hands around his neck chocking him. He gasped for air and spit blood. He managed to push him off of his body. And then they were back to their feet. Grey’s glasses fell to the ground as he felt the last blow to his face before he hit the ground, but unable to give up, he charged Nicola again. Making contact with Nicola’s body, Grey felt his angry force carry both of them a few feet before they both fell again. He punched Nicola angrily but each blow was returned by Nicola’s own extreme frustration.
Neither of the two men was willing to give up. It was as if the man that retreated, forfeited his right to care about Ivy. And so, if it meant killing each other, they would do it but fairly. And that was the only reason that the department issued pistol stayed in its holster. If Nicola was going to beat him, he would do it with a clear conscious.
“What the hell are you two out here doing?” Brooks ran up to the men, broke the two up pushing each to an opposite wall of the small space. “Calm down!” he commanded.
“Well, isn’t this convenient,” Grey panted trying to get his breath. He smirked at Nicola as he wiped blood from his own brow and mouth. “We were just talking about you, Brooks.” He straightened his clothes and checked his pocket for his cufflinks.
“I really don’t give a damn,” Brooks said quickly.
“Well, Nicola. I’ll give you some time to think about my little offer.” Grey pulled his cufflinks out of his pocket. “Back off and no one has to know anything about anything. Stay close, and I’ll go blow for blow with you in more than just this alleyway.”
Brooks shook his head in total disbelief. “What the hell is wrong with you two? That girl could be in there possibly loosing those babies or her own life, and yawl’s stupid asses are out here fighting over her. Wake up! She may not want either one of you after this.”
“You sure that you want to get involved in this Brooks?” Grey asked still seething.
“Look, don’t test me,” Brooks said pointing at Grey. “You better calm that shit down. I don’t care who you’re daddy is, I’ll stump a mud hole in your ass.”
“I’m sure,” Grey said unconcerned with Brooks.
“This is far from over,” Nicola continued.
“Well, it’s over for tonight.” Brooks finished.
“Just for tonight…good night to you gentlemen,” Grey said leaving the alleyway.
“Go fuck yourself,” Nicola retorted.
“Calm down, man” Grey said ignoring Grey. “You’re feeding in…”
“This is beginning to be some messy shit,” Nicola said checking his watch.
“Beginning to be?” Brooks sighed. “You’re in way above your head. I told you just lay low until the paternity test. But no…you’re out here fighting GQ’s Man of the Year.”
“Maybe you’re right. And I’m not saying that because of a little altercation. I just don’t know if this gets me anywhere with Ivy.” Nicola couldn’t risk losing his best friend for an engaged woman who couldn’t even say how she felt about him. Plus, if his secret leaked out on the force, he would never regain his respect. “Have you already been in to the hospital?” he asked calmly.
“Yeah, there’s no word yet,” Brooks said checking his sidearm.
“I want to kill him right now.”
“He isn’t worth it,” Brooks said patting Nicola on the back.
“Believe me. Yes, he is.”
**
Hours later, the doctor announced that Ivy and the babies were in stable condition and had been moved to a room for the night. If she checked out well in the morning, she would be able to leave the next afternoon. Hearing the news, everyone left for the night except for Sadie. Grey offered, but she insisted that he go home and get some rest. It was apparent when Sadie arrived at the hospital that both Grey and Nicola had experienced some type of disagreement, and she wanted both of them as far away from her daughter right now as possible.
As Ivy lay asleep in the hospital bed, Sadie rubbed her hair. Taking a hand-woven blanket from her bag, she pulled it over Ivy’s body and tucked her pillows under her softly trying not to wake her. With the pregnancy, there was little to be done about the pain and discomfort that Ivy was experiencing; so sleep was the only remedy. Sitting down beside her, she took the Bible off of the counter top beside the bed and began to read. Someone had to pray for their family and pray hard.
**
When Ivy opened her eyes the next morning, she felt a sharp pain race through her back causing her to grip the rails of the bed. The sun shined over on her forehead blinding her and air conditioner was up much too high freezing her through the thin white sheet and her favorite blanket. She pulled the sheet from her body as she saw a monitor connected to her stomach; she began to panic. Pressing the button for the nurse, a petite black woman with blue teddy bear scrubs and her hair in a bun marched through the door.
“Are you alright, honey?” the nurse asked walking over the bed.
“I don’t know.” Ivy held her stomach. “Are they alright?” She could better answer the woman’s question if she only knew that.
“There fine,” she said with a bright smile.
“Well then, I’m alright.” Sitting back in the bed Ivy laid her head on the pillow. Where was everyone? What time was it?
“I’ll bring you breakfast in a moment and the doctor will be in to see you in about an hour.” Pulling the blanket back over Ivy’s legs, the woman passed her the remote and left the room.
Shortly after the nurse left, Madison and Sadie came walking through the door with breakfast. Madison had arrived in Memphis only hours earlier, and Sadie had stayed awake by Ivy’s bedside all night. Yawning, she took a seat on the couch and took off her sweater.
“Hey,” Ivy said smiling at her father.
“Hi.” Madison stood over her rubbing her hair. “You took a dirty lick yesterday, little boot.” His hazel eyes were fixed on her bandages.
“It looks worse than it feels.” She lied. She didn’t want them to worry more than they had. As she shifted in the bed, the babies kicked causing her hospital gown to move. “Well, at least I know they’re up.” She smiled and rubbed her stomach affectionately.
“I just can’t believe that I’m going to be a grandfather.”
“Well, believe it.” Sadie took a sip of her coffee and took her daughter’s hand. “You talked in your sleep the entire night.”
“What did I say?” Her silky brown eyebrows lifted in curiosity.
“Nicola this and Grey that.” Sadie wouldn’t spill the details with Madison in the room. “Mostly Nicola though.”
“I’ve got to meet this guy,” Madison said sitting down across the room.
“He seems like a nice boy, really. I met him yesterday.” Sadie winked at Ivy. “He was very concerned about Ivy not to mention handsome.”
“Spare me.” Opening up his newspaper, Madison closed the blinds. “This is going to be a long three months. I can see that right now.”
**
While everyone was at the hospital checking on Ivy, Nicola managed to pull himself out the bed and get to her apartment. It was urgent that he speak with Trina about their exposed secret.
Still in the cloth
es from the previous day, Nicola hid his tired eyes behind his Rayban shades and a cool disposition. Ringing the doorbell madly, he was greeted by Trina, still in her pajamas.
“Nic, what are you doing here?” Trina asked looking out past him to see if anyone was with him. “Ivy’s still at the hospital. They haven’t let her go yet.”
“I’m not here for Ivy,” Nicola said walking past her.
“Okay?” Trina asked closing the door.
“Is anyone here?”
“No.” Trina heart dropped. Something was wrong.
“Grey knows.” Nicola said sitting down on the couch and sighing heavily.
“Please don’t tell me that.” Trina felt her heart constrict.
“The question is how he knows. I sure in hell didn’t tell him. Did you?”
“No,” Trina quickly said as she sat down on the leather ottoman.
“Have you told anyone at all?”
“Not a soul. What is he going to do?” Her fingers trembled.
“Nothing as long as I stay away from Ivy. So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“What if the twins are yours?” Trina wiped the tears from her eyes.
“Well, let’s hope that they are not.” Nicola looked over at his old friend in tears. “How have you been?”
“Better.” Trina shook her head. “I told her to stay away from you. I told you the same…”
“Who knew that all of this shit would happen?
“Nic, I think that she’s in love with you.”
“Yeah? He sat quietly for a minute. “Well, she’s not the only one.” Nicola said looking up at Trina. He could tell her. She would never spill a word. Plus, she could never judge him for it.
Trina shook her head. “This is so screwed up, isn’t it? It’s all my fault.”
“Please. It’s no more your fault than my own. Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out. For now, just keep cool. Don’t go confessing to Brooks or Ivy. And don’t start to act all funny. Be yourself.”
“That’s pretty hard to do.”
“Well when it starts to get hard, think of the alternative. We could always fess up to Brooks.”
“Yeah, right. He’d leave me, but he’d kill you.” She rolled her eyes. “I just don’t want to lose Brooks again. I love him so much. If he ever found out…”
“He won’t.” Nicola gave Trina an assuring nod, turned and left her in the room alone.
Chapter Seventeen: Change of Heart
Chapter 17
CHANGE OF HEART
“Share the cover,” Brooks said struggling with Trina who hogged the chenille throw as they lay opposite each other on Brooks’ den couch.
“Get your own,” Trina said laughing and ignoring the overly agitated Brooks.
They had spent the entire day cuddled up in the house together cooking, eating, watching movies, pampering one another and making love. It was Brooks’ recipe for reconciliation with Trina whenever they had a fall out. Now in an extra pair of Brooks’ pajamas, Trina sat on his den couch with her hair in large pink foam rollers and her face hard as rock from a Mary Kay facial mask
Brooks sat opposite of her, holding on to the remote and flipping violently through the channels. “There is nothing on any of these worthless ass channels. We should rent a movie.”
“Whatever you want, baby. You want some cookies?” Trina asked her deep southern drawl.
“Homemade?” Brooks asked. Her country slang made him smile. She was such a down-home sister who knew all the ways to make him content.
She was oblivious to his observations and wrapped up in her own thoughts. “No,” she said touching her face. “There’s some Pillsbury cookie dough in the freezer, though.”
“Chocolate chip?” Brooks took his eyes off the television for a brief moment.
“Yep,” Trina smiled. “Is your mask ready yet?”
“Feels like it.” Brooks touched his face. “I don’t know how you got me to put a damned facial mask on in the first place?”
“Baby, you need to exfoliate your skin more.” Trina crawled over to Brooks and laid on his chest. She searched his face. “Do you love me?” Her eyes were bright with anticipation.
“Yes,” he said staring her in eyes. “If I didn’t love you, do you think I’d let you put mud on my face?”
Trina smiled. “No,” she rubbed through his hair. “Brooks, I love you so much.” She hoped that he believed her.
And he did. Brooks rubbed her face and kissed her forehead. She was really a wonderful and patient woman. He appreciated those qualities in her and felt extremely guilty for his many indiscretions.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Trina asked curiously.
“Looking at you like what?”
“Like you’re just now noticing that I’m here.” Trina shrugged her shoulders. “Like I haven’t always been here.”
Brooks stammered. “I don’t think I have noticed you for a long time.”
This was news to Trina who always thought that she was the apple of his eye, unmistakable in his view. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television, getting rid of any distraction. “Go on,” she said seeing he needed to get something off of his chest.
“Watching Nicola deal with the possibility of having twins with Ivy has really made me look at our little situation. He tries to front like he doesn’t love her, but I see the change in him.” Brooks rubbed through Trina’s hair.
“Really?” The mention of Nicola’s name made Trina extremely nervous.
“Yeah. I think having children does that for a people who really need to fill a void in their lives. I mean, you get up and do this job day in and day out for other people. But sometimes, you want to believe that you’re it doing for yourself. Having a child to live for…well.” Brooks sighed. “That changes things for a man.”
“But I thought that you said Nicola didn’t think the twins were his?”
“Oh, he wants them to be. Why else would he have sworn off sex?” Brooks chuckled.
“Nicola swore off what?” Trina was baffled by the thought.
“This is the longest I’ve ever seen him go without it in my entire life. He says that he needs clarity.”
“What do you think?”
“I think that he needs Ivy,” Brooks said simply. “But this conversation doesn’t go any further than these four walls. If he wants her to know how he feels, he’ll tell her. That is once he figures it out for himself.”
“What does all of this have to do with us?” Trina rubbed his chest.
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.” Brooks hesitated.
“No, I won’t. Tell me.” She held her breath.
“Okay. I…I want to start a family.”
“Don’t play with me,” Trina said pushing his hand away. She dismissed his request as an ill-formed joke.
“I’m not playing,” Brooks said finally at peace with his decision. “I want to start a family with you. I want to marry you.” After many months of haggling with Nicola, Brooks realized that he had simply been fighting with his own desires. And here he was in his prime giving in after all these years to KaTrina Leona Cooper.
“Brooks, you shouldn’t be asking me this if you haven’t thought it through. It’s not fair. You know how you get. One minute you want to be in a serious relationship and the next thing you know, I’m hearing about you and some girl at the Black Tie.” She smacked her lips and rolled her eyes. “I mean, is this really what you want?” She had to make a full-circle back to the question. After all, it was what she really wanted.
“You know me. Serious relationship…yes. But me bringing up wanting to marrying you…no. I’ve never, ever…ever done that? Have I?” He touched her masked face. “It’s what I want.” Brooks shrugged his shoulders. “The question is, is this what you want?”
“Yes,” she said quickly. Trina couldn’t believe her ears, but she welcomed the invitation openly. “You know I want to marry you!” She smiled excessively. “I’ve
wanted it for so long.”
“Okay. Great. That’s great news, baby.” Brooks hugged her tightly.
“I can’t believe that this is happening.” Trina felt sheer happiness and utter nervousness in the same skipped breath.
“Well, it is.” Brooks smiled. “We can go and pick you out a ring tomorrow. So you can play the ‘ohh, girl game’ with your friends.”
“The what?” Trina asked dying laughing at Brooks.
“Ohh, girl. It’s so pretty. How much did it cost? How did he propose?” Brooks mocked Trina’ friends in a girly, high soprano voice. “You know what I mean. You know what ya’ll do.”
Trina laughed but still had tears of joy in her eyes. “You’ve made me so happy today, baby.” She kissed his lips tenderly.
“I know,” Brooks said equally as pleased. “You know I got you, boo.”
**
Nicola wanted a drink bad. He had been fighting his urge since the early hours of the morning and as the day progressed so did his thirst. To counter what was turning into a dreadful day, he decided to head to the track field to get some fresh air and do some much needed training.
As he arrived at the East High School track field, he parked his truck on the school parking lot and grabbed his MP3 player and shades. If he couldn’t fight the thirst, he would run from it.
At the starting line, Nicola half-stretched and proceeded with his signature long-stride mile run. As he took in the fresh air, he began feeling at peace. Somehow, the clear blue skies, fresh cut grass and empty track gave him the strength to push past his demons.
To busy running to see that he was not alone, Nicola overlooked the little woman sitting quietly under a tree by the playground just a few yards from the track. Eating a finger sandwich and reading her book club book of the month, Sadie watched Nicola in curiosity.
Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux Page 26
